Really? Why China?

When I first considered applying for this job in China, the question I often got asked was "Really? Why China?" Honestly, I never in a million years thought I'd be going to China. First off, I definitely do not like Americanized Chinese food (never had authentic Chinese food, so we'll see how that goes). I once got food poisoning from a Chinese restaurant and I did not eat Chinese food for about 8 years. Yes, really. Eight years. Strike two: I don't speak the language... and I can't really even pretend that I do. It's not like French, which is written similarly enough to Spanish that I could decipher signs and such (listening and speaking was a whole different ball game). But there is something strangely fascinating to me about living abroad, and truly experiencing a different culture beyond what you'd get from a week-long vacation. And it's Disney--anyone who knows me well knows I love Disney.
So I guess you could say it was a combination of getting to work for Disney again and my love of a good adventure that got my interested piqued in China. But what did I really know about the country itself?

Not much, to be honest. I mean I always learned a bit about China through history classes (kinda tuned out that part/didn't remember much because I can't pronounce half the words!) but what I knew wasn't enough to make me want to visit there, let alone move for 15 months. The most that I learned about China was my freshman year in high school. For summer reading, we had to read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Reading during the summer, especially books for school, was a drag for me. So it was more like a skim. But, my English teacher really brought the book and the country to life that fall semester. I was actually in her class during the September 11th attacks. We had just been learning about Tiananmen Square, foot binding, and extracting opium from poppy seeds and giving it to the field workers to make them lethargic so they wouldn't try to escape or revolt. Great images, right? I remember I was in the lucky group that was assigned a project on foot binding. And it grossed me out, and still does. I have a low pain tolerance and a weak stomach, so it was an unsettling project. But, I made it through. It is interesting that from an educational perspective, we tend to focus on the negative aspects of developing countries like China. But as I've read about life and travel in China recently, and what I've heard from talking to those who have been (which surprisingly, everyone seems to know someone who's been to China), there is lots of history and interesting growth/development all over the country and most of the things I have learned have been very positive. It makes me more excited to live the experience.